


The Kaleidoscope

by Syven



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 11:01:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11229582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syven/pseuds/Syven
Summary: Originally written on 02/12/2008. Written for idea_of_sarcasm on LJ in response to one of her prompts.Post Deathly Hallows AU





	1. Chapter 1

"Good night, Professor Potter," Nearly Headless Nick called as he wafted between the walls of the castle, giving Ginny a jaunty wave as he passed across the darkened corridor on the fifth level. Ginny smiled and returned the wave with a bemused chuckle, drawing her cloak tighter as she approached the landing, the wedding ring on her hand glinting in the flickering candlelight. 

She and Harry had only been married a year when he was killed in an ambush by renegade Death Eaters. The Ministry had been convinced that they had driven the Dark wizards into exile and Harry, poor Harry, had forgotten that his only immunity had been to the Dark Lord himself. Undone by his own over-confidence, Harry did not go alone - no, his best friend and equally unprepared partner, Ron, went down fighting as well. 

Broken-hearted at 19, Ginny quit the Holyhead Harpies and moved in with Hermione, who drove her own grief into her research, trying to find a cure for Lycanthropy. After three months, Minerva McGonagall approached them both, pressing lightly on their Gryffindor need to help others by offering teaching positions – Hermione as the new Potions Mistress and Ginny took over as the vacant spot of Transfiguration Professor. 

The best friends slowly mourned their losses, seeking solace in their steadfast companionship and, after two years, Hermione asked Ginny for her advice on accepting a date with George. Within a few weeks, it was clear that they were good for each other and they dated regularly when school and business allowed.

Now, with Hermione visiting George for the holiday weekend, Ginny found herself unable to sleep and wandering the halls of the nearly empty castle aimlessly. When she'd first returned to the castle, her jaunts were marked by periodic sniffles and the discrete application of a handkerchief to the corners of her eyes. The ghosts of the castle had been staunchly polite and sympathetic, following her at a safe distance and remaining silent. Even the Bloody Baron had nodded in agreement when Nearly Headless Nick had succinctly pointed out that 'it would be dreadfully impolite to impose'.

Ginny rounded the corner on the sixth floor landing and lifted a ring of keys from her belt, fitting a large skeleton key in the right side door and wincing as it creaked loudly open. Headmistress McGonagall had asked her to check on the object being temporarily stored there while repairs to the basement level of the Ministry of Magic were affected. Ginny wasn't sure what exactly was being stored in the sixth floor trophy room but she light the candles on the wall as she entered the darkened room. 

A quick glance around told her that no one had managed to break through her wards or wrangle their way around the very Muggle door lock and she found her gaze resting on the tall, sheet-covered object in the center of the room, an eerie light seeping out across the floorboards from beneath the edge of the sheet. Her curiosity played on her thoughts as she took in the enormity of the rectangular object, considering as she was, the Headmistress' words of caution. _'They claim to have warded it to prevent accidental tip-ins but I don't find that makes me feel the slightest bit better. Be a love and keep an eye on it, won't you?'_

_"You can't…"_

Ginny's wand was in her hand in a heartbeat, her eyes searching the room frantically at the sound of the voice, low and deep but there was no one there. Her heart pounding, her gaze slowly turned back to the object and a chilled dread filled her heart as she reached for the sheet, tugging it free in one sharp movement. The cloth swooped forward, billowing toward her and threatening to engulf the petite witch before accepted its fate, pooling about her feet like so much white, liquid fabric. Ginny gasped, her hand rising to cover her mouth automatically as her worst fears were realized – The Veil towered above her, looming ominously up out of the floorboards like a great stone tree - a vast, malicious thing.

As if sensing life on the opposite side, the voices grew louder, more chaotic and jumbled – foul, hissed suggestions melting into soft, desperate sobs, words only understandable for terrifying blips of a second. She took a step backward, stumbling on the sheet and falling to her bottom, her wand outstretched as if to jinx the Otherworldly device. From where she sat on the floor, the small sparkle of light on the left column base just barely registered in her field of vision – small as it was – and Ginny crawled forward, glancing warily up at the haunting darkness of the portal as she did. 

Closer inspection showed that one of the carved runes was aglow in a soft, yellow light. Her ancient runes was not what anyone could call remarkable but Ginny knew that symbol rather well, as it was the symbol for repair. What it signified for the device, she didn't know and had no intention of finding out even as she reached out to trace her finger lightly over the carved symbol thoughtfully. 

Without warning, a deep, disembodied voice boomed out three words that echoed in the confines of the small room. "As you command."

A strong wind whipped past her, taking her breath away as it swirled into a maelstrom of fury and smoke, spinning wildly around the Veil and Ginny both, blocking her view of anything else in the room as the placid surface of the device began to ripple and swirl. It was as if the device was mimicking the whirlwind of air and then, quite suddenly, it stopped – the surface settled into a glass-like state and the wind dropped abruptly away. Relieved that she hadn't accidentally brought the world to an end, Ginny picked herself up off the floor and began dusting her robes off, anxious to be away from that thing.

She'd only just turned away from the device, heading for the door when a deafening crack split the air. Slapping her hands over her ears and wincing, Ginny was half turned back when a large, heavy object slammed into her, throwing the witch to the floor in a sprawl. Ginny spun and rose to her knees in one motion, holding her wand out before her only to gasp and cover her mouth with the opposite hand as she took in what had hit her. When she finally blinked, she looked back at the Veil then reached out to the body of the young man lying on the floor beside her.

His face was turned away and covered under a mop of unruly brunette locks but his shirt was a harlequin of black and gold that she hadn't seen worn in… since she was a third year. Ginny's hand paused over the boy's face, hovering uncertainly before pressing her fingers to his neck for a split second before pulling her hand back with a gasp. A thready pulse beat where she knew it could not because she knew exactly where she'd last seen that tunic – during the final test of the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts in her third year. It was Hufflepuff's colors and the memory of that night came back to her, her mind's eye seeing Harry and Cedric falling out of the sky – Harry collapsing across Cedric's unmoving chest, one hand gripping the Cup as if it were a lifeline. She remembered the wave of emotion that had flared up in the crowd when Harry pronounced Cedric dead, dead at Voldemort's command – the ungodly, group inhalation of breath that occurred in one monstrous moment of disbelieving comprehension.

The years scrolled back in the time it took for Ginny to shift his head to face her - his handsome, easily-recognizable features left no doubt – Cedric Diggory had returned from the grave just as he had gone to it, dirt smudged across his forehead, bits of twigs sticking out of his hair. Moving unconsciously, Ginny gently wiped the dirt from his skin with the cuff of her robe, all the while wondering what in Merlin's name she was going to tell the Headmistress when his hand shot out and clamped around her wrist. Shifting up onto his elbow, the young wizard pressed his wand firmly against the side of her neck as he spoke. "Who are… Gin? Ginny _Weasley_?"

"Potter," she gasped out automatically, her wrist throbbing under his iron grip and her eyes darted to where his fingers squeezed into her skin. Ginny allowed the vague thought that there would be marks in the morning before her eyes shifted back to his startled gaze. "Could you… Cedric, you're hurting me."

The effect of her words was instantaneous, his hand jerked back in a flash as he pushed himself up in a seated position. She reached over and deftly plucked his wand from between his fingers, shifting it to her opposite hand beside her own. For a second, he looked as if he'd try to retrieve it but he didn't, frowning at her as he stammered. "You can't be Ginny. She's only…" He lifted his hand to mid-chest as if to demonstrate just how big she'd been even as he gaze shifted around them both and he asked slowly. "Where are we? This isn't the maze. I was… Harry!" 

Shocked grey-blue eyes met her own as he lunged forward in one quick motion, catching her arm and pulling her against his chest, snatching his wand back and murmuring softly. "Voldemort. Shh, if he finds us…"

"Cedric," Ginny had been too shocked to react at first but now she did, pulling away from him with a sad shake of her head. "Cedric, Voldemort is dead. Again. We are not in the maze or the graveyard, all right? We are inside the Hogwarts castle and you… you came out of that." She gestured to the now placid Veil towering above them.

"I've seen pictures of that before, at pop's job but… that's the Veil, from the Department of Mysteries. What's it doing here and what do you mean, I came out of it. I was in the… the maze. No, that's not right, Harry and I, we touched the cup at the same time and it was a portkey. It took us to a, well, it looked like a graveyard. There was a flash and then I woke up here," he seemed to be reminding himself rather than explaining to her but he let his grip loosen.

"Cedric, you've been, err, gone for some time now. Let's get you to Madame Pomfrey, all right, and I'll get the Headmistress," Ginny scrambled to her feet and extended her hand to help him up. He took it and rose, even in his abbreviated youth, the young man towered over her. Without releasing her hand, Cedric politely held the door open for her and drew it closed behind them, waiting patiently as she reapplied the wards and locked it with its Muggle key.

The next few hours were a jumble of excited proclamations, stern questions and confused answers. Madame Pomfrey pronounced the returned student as perfectly healthy but suffering from the effects of the time difference. Ginny wasn't sure she understood but two of the senior Healers sent over from St. Mungo's appeared to agree, nodding excitedly as they Floo'd for several potions which would, as they firmly stated, 'bring him up to mark'.

Ginny quietly let herself out of the Hospital Ward when his parents arrived, looking befuddled and sleepy, their clothes obviously only just pulled hastily on. Their shouts rose above the chatter and her eyes stung with unshed tears as she closed the door to block out the scene, imagining the incredible joy his parents were feeling and wanting to give them the privacy they deserved.

Climbing the spiraling stone steps to her quarters in the Astronomy tower, Ginny stifled a yawn against the back of her hand as she considered what to include in her third year classes test that week. They'd been working on tea kettles but she was sure they'd manage a jump up to transfiguring exploding snaps just fine. Letting herself into the small sitting room, she shrugged out of her teaching robes and hung them on the peg by the door before flopping in the worn, overstuffed chair by the fireplace as an elf appeared with a tray of tea. 

"Missus Potter ises a hero. Alls the elves are talking about it, Mistress. Theys says you save Master Diggory from the Not Here Place," it set the tray down and clasped its hands together in delight.

Sighing, she gave the creature a wry, weak smile. "I was just in the right place, Toman. I really didn't do anything."

"Missus Potter is too modest. Alls the elves says youes saves Master. Wez likes Master Diggory. He treated us goods. Like Missus Potter!" It proclaimed, oblivious to what she'd actually said. "Woulds Mistress likes some sweet bread?"

"No, Toman, thank you though. I'm bloody knackered, just going to have this cuppa and then fall into bed," she answered, smothering another yawn as the little elf bowed and popped away.

Nearly three months passed when a brisk knock sounded on her classroom door one evening while she was grading papers and Ginny answered inattentively, continuing to scan the parchment in front of her as the door creaked open. After a moment, she realized that whomever had entered was still standing by the door and she looked up, blinking in surprise. "Cedric? What are you… Merlin, I'm sorry, that was dreadfully rude of me. How are you? You look… different."

"I do hope so. Those potions were worth the trouble if that's true," he raked a hand through his wild hair with a bashful grin as he straightened from where he'd been leaning casually against the doorframe. His shoulders had broadened considerably and his face carried a bit of mature definition around the jaw, even his eyes held a hint of quiet acceptance that came with growing older. 

Blushing lightly, Ginny realized she'd been staring when he came to a stop before her, his hands shoved into his pants pockets as he looked down at her. The same twinkle still light in his eyes but it faded when he met her gaze, softening with pity and she swallowed hard, her jaw clenching. "They told you, then. Caught you all the way up, did they?"

"They did. I've been jam packed full of knowledge now and given a leg up to match my age. Even took my N.E.W.T.'s," Cedric answered softly, reaching out to brush the back of his fingers along her cheek. "I'm sorry, Gin."

She jerked from his familiar touch, stepping away from him, her hands clenched tightly at her sides against the sensations that flooded her. The Wizarding world had been sympathetic at her loss but, by and large, they'd kept a distance, as if she were made of glass and he had, in that moment crossed a line that no one outside her family had crossed in two years. Her robes rustled and swirled about her ankles in a minute flurry of motion that echoed the warning look on her face. "I don't need anyone's pity, thanks."

"It's not pity, Gin. Its compassion," he replied, the hurt echoing in his voice. He folded his arms across his chest, watching her fiddle aimlessly with the objects on her desk for a moment before saying. "I didn't come here to upset you. I wanted to see you… to thank you for what you did."

"It said 'repair'. I told them that. I bloody showed them where the rune was. Of course, it's bloody gone now and those Ministry spooks just look at me like I'm crazy but they can't say that because…" Her voice tapered off, her unfinished sentence easily understood. Because she was Harry Potter's widow. It was almost as insufferable as the condescending looks she'd gotten when they'd been married. She'd wanted to shout at the other witches 'I can't help that he loves me' but she didn't anymore than she did the glares she received now. The ones that clearly blamed her for his death, as if she'd sent him on that assignment.

"Because there's no reason for you to lie. I know, Gin. I explained that it wasn't glowing when I finally came to my senses but they still asked. It's somewhat reassuring to see that the Ministry is just as obtuse now as it was when I… well, died," Cedric stated firmly, his clear, guileless voice ringing with every bit of honesty and kindness that Dumbledore had exemplified in his end of term speech, unaware of all the subtleties she'd endure, the long laundry list of things that had made accepting Headmistress' offer of exile perfectly reasonable to the once-vibrant young witch.

An elf popping into the room disrupted any answer she might have had and it glanced quickly between them in clear surprise as it wrung its hands. "Toman ises sorrys, Mistress. Toman not know Missus Potter be entertaining Master Diggory. Toman wills bring extra plate to Mistress's quarters. Yeses, Toman only be minute."

It disappeared just as suddenly as it had entered the room, leaving Ginny shifting uncomfortably on her feet, catching her bottom lip as she glanced up at her guest. "If you have plans for dinner, I will simply tell them to take it away. You shouldn't feel at all obligated to stay, Cedric."

"No. I mean, I don't. Well, I do but the results are entirely the same so it doesn't matter. You see, I came out here to ask you to dinner," he answered, the twinkle in his eye belying the sheepish smile he flashed at her. Holding out his arm, he bowed his head politely, asking. "May I escort you to dinner, Professor?"

She eyed his arm warily but stepped forward and slowly placed her hand in the crook of his arm as lightly as she could manage, nearly jumping when he covered her hand with his own larger one. Stammering, Ginny said. "I'm in the Astronomy tower now. It's not terribly big as quarters go so if you'd prefer…"

"It'll be fine, Gin, and I do remember the way," Cedric answered, smiling patiently as his gaze danced along her features. 

The walk to her quarters took less than five minutes but it felt like an eternity to the young widow, her cheeks flushing with color as the students along the way stopped and pointed, whispering excitedly. She felt like her hand was on fire under his, pressed against the cotton of his shirt as if it wasn't there at all. Her blush deepened when she caught herself dazedly wondering if his skin was as soft as the shirt, mentally chastising herself immediately. It was a mixture of relief and guilty regret when she could disentangle her hand to open the door to her quarters, standing back to allow him to pass inside.

A fire crackled in the fireplace and the small table by the window was already set for two, the food and drink prepared while they had been walking and Ginny shrugged out of her teacher's robes before she joined him at the table. He glanced around unobtrusively before commenting. "You're too modest - this is a very nice flat. Do you often eat in your quarters? I was under the impression that the Professors had to attend the High Table."

"I do when I'm working late," Ginny gestured to the wine. "I hope you like white. The elves know I don't care for red."

"The white is fine. I haven't quite decided if I'm a lager fellow or a wine chap but I have time to work it out now," Cedric answered with the flash of another smile.

Smiling weakly in return, she ducked her head and began spearing her food onto the fork abruptly, scolding herself for letting his charm get the better of her. "I haven't seen anything in the Prophet about you. How did you manage that?"

"Ah, yes. The Ministry was rather adamant that we not tell anyone. You see, they fear that there are wizards out there who might try to use the Veil to bring _other_ wizards back from the dead. Mind you, I did explain to them that the odds of them getting the Veil to do that are astronomically low but they simply pointed to me and shrugged, as if that were some kind of argument," he explained between bites of food, which he enthusiastically dug into.

Ginny sputtered into her drink, horrified at the thought of Death Eaters getting their hands on the frightful device. "But it was an _accident_! Not that I am disappointed, of course, but I didn't _intentionally_ do anything."

"I know. I tried to make that clear but they are convinced that my return will instigate a torrent of trouble for them. So, I am officially Robert Diggory, Cedric's long-lost cousin. They patched me up, helped me fill in the blanks of time with education and here I am, eating dinner with the lovely Professor who saved me," Cedric's grey eyes danced with devilish charm but he was careful to watch her reactions closely. He'd asked about her, of course – she _did_ save him and she was quite _lovely_. His father had been the one to bring out the newspaper clippings and tried to answer his newly-resurrected son's questions about the witch he'd only known as a little, pixie-resembling girl from school. All the growth potions and memory adjustments and cramming for N.E.W.T.'s has left him feeling oddly bereft when he thought of Ginny. 

"Robert? You can't be serious. I mean, you look nearly exactly as you did when you died. How can they possibly think anyone will accept that you had a cousin that was practically your twin?" she asked, giving an exasperated shake of her head, letting the turn in the conversation ease her discomfort at being in her quarters with a strange man. Not that she didn't trust Cedric, because she did – Merlin, half the school had trusted the boy when he'd been alive. He'd been so straight-forwardly honest and decent and Ginny couldn't see how those qualities could have been lost in the man he was now.

He laughed, a deep, open and genuine sound, before saying. "It's never been a Wizarding strong point to see what's under our noses if we don't want to see it. I get a few lingering stares but when I introduce myself, you can see the shift – the escape from confusion and acceptance. I don't like to lie but there's really nothing I can do about it. Eleven people know who I really am."

"Should I be flattered? I'm glad you are here now but you know perfectly well that I did nothing to engineer this. Speaking of engineering, the potions – they brought you physically forward just 6 years?" Ginny asked between bites, her wine almost forgotten at her elbow.

Cedric grinned, his eyes glinted in the candlelight with an unfathomable stare that made her shift her gaze away a second later, and answered. "I'm glad of your engineering, in any event. The potions aged me, Gin. I don't just look older, I am older. Missing memories that would naturally have existed for that frame of time but I am every inch the age I appear. Do you… find it off-putting?"

"No!" Ginny replied quickly, stammering lightly before continuing. "No, it's just… well, I had no idea they could even do something like that. You certainly don't read about time travelers in the Prophet… ah, I see."

He chuckled. "They didn't mean to tell me but I overheard one night after a session. The physical growth was quite painful and the mental aspects, well, let's just say that near everything seemed hazy to me but it was the pause they did between 19 and 20 that let things clear up a bit. They thought I was sleeping off the effects. One of them said something very similar – _'I had no idea we could to this'_ and the other mumbled a few words and then, clear as day, said _'Did, neither, not until Albus had one to many "accidents" with the time turner. Ministry done put their foot down about that.'_ "

"So, that would make you 22?" she exclaimed softly, stunned when her belief that he remained a boy inside a man's boy suddenly evaporated. The implications that her former Headmaster had been dodgy about his age didn't really surprise her in the least – he was Albus Dumbledore, after all. 

Cedric poured more wine into her glass, sneaking a glance at the witch while her attention was on her plate. His pulse quickened again, as it had when he'd entered her classroom and seen her leaning over a parchment. Instinctively, he knew she was a very lovely witch and there would be a natural attraction to her but this feeling ran deeper, hitting him in the gut. Licking his lips, he answered. "Nearly 24, actually. I was on the edge of seventeen when the tournament took place. They did say it wasn't an exact thing but they were fairly confident they stopped the potions before 25." He paused. "I chose to believe they stopped before 25, at least."

"And what does Cedric… I mean, Robert Diggory do now?" Ginny asked, feeling a light flutter in her tummy that she told herself was the effect of the wine alone. She had a small handful of date requests over the previous two years but she always turned them down – often telling herself they only wanted the notoriety but deep down, she simply didn't want to. She'd loved Harry Potter and lost him not once but twice – getting involved just wasn't on her list of things she wanted to do again.

They chatted over the remainder of dinner and another two glasses of wine by the fire before Ginny walked him down to the East Gate where they parted amiably. She'd been surprised to find out he was a curse-breaker working for Gringotts – the goblins not at all caring who he had been or who he was as long as he could do the work and he could. His team worked out of Istanbul and he had enthusiastically attempted to explain the beauty of the exotic land, giving up finally with a cryptic murmur of how he would simply have to show her someday. It wasn't the first time that evening that Ginny felt as if he had some plan that she was unaware of – one isn't married to Harry Potter without seeing that mildly calculating look and knowing that a plan was afoot.

Two weeks passed before she heard her name called in the distance and looked up from her book to see Cedric striding down the back lawn toward the tree by the lake under which she sat. He'd feigned boredom and declared that the entire rather lovely afternoon would be for naught if she didn't play chess with him. His impish grin and unflagging charm didn't stop her from beating him but it did win him a picnic lunch on the lawn and a sleepy naptime conversation afterwards that left them both on their backs looking up at the sky. Ginny did not invite him to stay for dinner and he didn't ask, merely gathering up his chess set and shrinking it down to fit in his pocket before bidding her ado.

Five days later, the enigmatic Hufflepuff was leaning on the doorframe of her classroom with two tickets to a something he called 'foosball', which she discovered was a Muggle game played on a field of grass. Using the excuse that his father had fallen ill that morning and it would be a terrible shame to waste a ticket, he convinced her to change into denims and sweater to accompany him. Ginny was hoarse from yelling when he said goodnight to her at the entryway door, leaning in close as his hands brushed along her shoulders. The smell of the Muggle lager they had at the game wafted between them as his head ducked lower and in a frightening moment of clarify, she thought he was going to kiss her and stepped back abruptly. Stammering nonsense, Ginny ducked inside and fled to her tower. 

When the third week passed without seeing him, Ginny felt a sad twinge at the realization that her unlikely friend had not been back and for a brief moment, she wondered why she'd fled into the castle that night. Gathering up a wicker basket she headed into the Forbidden Forest - Hermione had asked her to bring back some fresh lavender while she was out hunting up feathers to use in her class. That's where Cedric found her two hours later – kneeling in a patch of lavender, her braided hair curled over one shoulder as she carefully clipped stems that were too close to each other. The sound of footsteps on dead leaves alerted her to another person but she was completely taken back to see him standing behind her, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets. Neither spoke of the time that had passed or what had been perceived the last time they'd been together, Cedric getting down in the lavender beside her as he asked her about her week. 

He insisted on holding her hand when they ventured deeper into the forest claiming it would be unconscionable for him to let her be harmed and she let him with a soft chuckle. Dinner was in the kitchen while the elves bustled around them and he did kiss the back of her hand when he said goodnight, his warm lips pressing firmly and lingering, but the gleam in his eye hinted that it wasn't her hand he wanted to kiss. The hard thumping of her heart as she walked back to the Astronomy tower was both frightening and exhilarating.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Hermione asked one afternoon as they graded papers in her classroom, the scent of cauldrons bubbling filling the air. Cedric had quickly become a fixture at Hogwarts, coming and going at odd intervals but he was never gone for more than five days anymore and he had, twice, spent the night in the guest quarters.

Her quill twitched as she scratched another correction in the margins of the parchment before her but it froze for a moment then began moving again. "I'm not sure I know what you mean, Hermione."

"With Cedric," she explained patiently, her attention never wavering from the parchment she was grading.

Ginny sighed and put her quill down, leaning back in the chair on the opposite side of Hermione's desk. "There's nothing to do. We're just… well, friends, I suppose. He said I'm the only person he really feels comfortable around since I was there when he… came back."

"It's not like Cedric to lie but don't you think that sounds just a little too pat of an answer, Ginny? You said you thought he might want… more. The question is – what do you want?" Hermione tucked an escaped curl of hair behind her ear, looking up at her friend.

Retrieving her quill, Ginny grimaced and shook her head. "What I want is for Lisbeth McDougal to stop cheating off Trish Strongwall." She sighed and made a mark on the parchment before pushing it away. "I don't know, Hermione. When Harry… He was a part of my life for so long. I don't know if I want to feel like that again… to risk, well, you know. Cedric, bless him, he's smart, funny… polite."

"Those are nice qualities for a friend, Ginny, but if that's all there is, then you shouldn't lead him on," Hermione shrugged.

Biting her lip, she blushed lightly and glanced over her shoulder at the closed door. "It's not. I mean, I'm always happy to see him and sad to see him go." Ginny paused. "I just don't know if the feeling I have will get stronger or not. What if it does?"

"What if it does? Isn't that what you want? Ginny, it's not healthy, the way you keep holding yourself back from others. You're too young to turn into a spinster professor of Hogwarts," Hermione scolded, her tone lighter than her words. When Ginny had first mentioned Cedric stopping by after his unorthodox resurrection, she'd hoped that it was more than just a passing thing for the wizard. "What does your Mum say?"

The dinner bell chimed saving Ginny from answering and although she let herself consider what Hermione had said, it was still a surprised to find Cedric waiting outside the Great Hall after dinner. Waving goodnight to her colleagues, Ginny crossed the hallway to him with a shy smile. "I didn't expect you tonight. I thought you were in Istanbul for another week."

"We finished our assignment early and I told the boys I was taking a day off. I hope you don't mind that I didn't owl first. I thought it would be a nice night for a ride," he explained, holding his arm out for her. He drew her away from the crowds returning to their dorms, out into the courtyard where two broomsticks leaned side by side against a stone bench. A wrapped package sat on the bench and he bent to pick it up when they drew close. 

Swallowing hard, Ginny's glance flickered between the brooms, instantly recognizing her own Firebolt 4000 that she'd given to George the day she quit the Harpies, and her companion before she spoke. "Cedric, I don't know what to say. I, um, I haven't been up since…"

"Since you quit the Harpies - I know, Gin," he turned to her, frowning thoughtfully. Tucking the package under his arm, Cedric gave a gentle tug on her hand, drawing her closer and taking both her hands in his before saying. "Ginny, I've been given the chance to live again. I want to do that with you. No, let me finish," he shook his head, smiling as she looked about to speak. His features grew serious and he pulled her closer, brushing back her hair with one hand as he held out the small package to her. 

Taking it, she blinked in confusion and began unwrapping it, distracted by the light touch of his fingers in her hair. The paper fell away, dissolving in a puff of yellow smoke that spiraled to the ground before disappearing completely. Ginny chuckled weakly, holding up the kaleidoscope with dim amusement but her grin faded when her gaze met his. "I don't understand. You got me a child's toy? Is that some sort of message, then?"

"Ginny, I never competed with Harry when we were alive and I won't start now," Cedric stated firmly, tipping her chin up with his fingertips. "We found this in the vault we decursed. It's something like a pensieve but it works similar to the Mirror of Erised except it doesn't show you what your deepest desire is – it shows you brief glimpses of your possible future."

Ginny licked her lips and caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she turned the wooden cylinder over in her hand. She looked away, out over the back lawn that led down to the Herbology greenhouses. When she spoke, her voice was very soft. "What did you see?"

"If you feel anything at all for me, Ginny, I need you to look," he ignored her question, his gray-blue eyes darkening. 

She lifted the small device to her eye hesitantly and gave the end a small turn, one eye wide looking through the cylinder lens as the chips of color fell one on the other and consolidated into an image that held still for the briefest of seconds then began moving. In the small circle of picture, Ginny watched herself fly down to the ground where Cedric waited, a small brown haired boy in his arms and he reached out, tugging her head down and kissing her before the picture faded. Her heart beat faster as she turned the end again and waited impatiently for the specks of color to stop shifting. A new picture flickered and then solidified and Ginny found herself standing in the Hogwarts courtyard like she was now but it was Autumn and Cedric was dressed in formal robes, down on one knee before her and she was nodding, wiping tears from her cheeks at the same time.

Ginny pulled the kaleidoscope away abruptly, glancing up at Cedric sharply. "You said it shows what's possible, not what is. What did you see?"

"I saw what I already knew was in my heart, Ginny. I love you most ardently and I loathe every moment we aren't together," Cedric answered with unwavering surety, his hand slipping under her hair to cup her cheek as he tilted her head back, stepping forward to close the distance between them and took the kaleidoscope from her hand at the same time. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Any response she might have made froze on her lips as his body came in contact with hers, shivering at the frisson of his warm lips against her own, gently moving with insistence. He groaned softly when she parted her lips under his, his tongue sweeping against her own as the spark flared to life between them. When he finally drew back, they were both breathing heavy, his gray-blue eyes dark and hazy as he pressed his forehead to hers. "There's something there, yeah?" 

"Yeah, just a bit," Ginny laughed nervously, a light blush rising on her cheeks. "Cedric… I…"

"Just say you'll give it a chance, Gin. That's all I'm asking," he interrupted. 

She looked into his gaze, fear and uncertainty riding just below the surface of the exhilaration and affection coursing through her body and then she nodded, a smile flashing briefly on her lips before holding firm and then he was kissing her again.

Somewhere, deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic, in the darkness of an unmarked room off a forgotten corridor lights flickered along the frame of a large doorway, runes illuminating the shadowed mist that crept across the dirt floor of the room and a deep, disembodied voice boomed. "Repairs complete."

~Fin~


	2. Saying Goodbye to the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for minisoo on LJ. Continuation of The Kaleidoscope.  
> Semi-graphic details of violence.

"Good night, Professor Potter," Nearly Headless Nick said softly, drifting to the side of the window-lined corridor and bowing politely as Ginny walked past. The snow outside rose above the bottom ledge of the windows unevenly, gathering as the wind moved it along the stone walls shared by the main entrance and the courtyard beyond. Crystals of frost spider webbed outward from each corner of the window panes, giving them the appearance of being frozen in time. 

Long teaching robes whirled, whispering softly as they skimmed the thread-bare carpet of the hall when she slowed her step to answer. The ghost's old-world charm and dignity was a quiet grace in the chaos that normally surrounded the school. Ginny's breath was a visible waft of smoke in the cold corridor as she answered, giving a respectful nod of her head. "Good evening, Sir Nick."

"By chance, have you seen Professor Lupin this evening?" she asked, turning the dulled, scratched gold band that retained its place on her finger. It was now a silent companion to a brighter golden band with a dark ruby solitaire. 

The Gryffindor's guardian ghost began to answer but stopped, bowing again and looking directly over Ginny's shoulder before floating through the wall into the Great Hall. Ginny turned and gave a small smile, folding her hands into the long sleeves of her robe at the sight of the former werewolf in his transparent cardigan with its' ghostly frayed cuffs. He drifted forward, nodding respectfully as he kept pace with her footfalls, saying. "I was just on my way to see you."

When the former Order of the Phoenix member had materialized in the Hogwart's library on All Hallow's Eve, the staff had been shocked and confused but Hermione had, alone, understood. Others had seen his marriage and union with Nymphadora Tonks as a completing act in an otherwise unfinished life. The werewolf, though, had never fully accepted the reality of it and had held a deep certainty of unworthiness in his heart. With stoic, level-headed acceptance, Headmistress McGonagall had wasted no time offering the new ghost a post as professor, teaching the History of Magic since Professor Binns had been reassigned to the Ministry of Magic after the Battle of Hogwarts.

"If it is all right, I should like to answer your questions over tea. Hermione will be joining us," Ginny stated pensively, normally comfortable around the ghost but the message passed to her after dinner by the Fat Friar had left her feeling melancholy. 

A shadow of gratitude echoed in his voice when he responded. "Perfectly understandable, Ginny. Dreadful night out. One of my students said the Express was halted due to mounting snow on the bridge tracks."

"Headmistress is sending the children home via the Floo in Hogsmeade after Winter feast tomorrow evening. Mum says the Muggle networks are down all over Britain and Ireland as well. The Prophet is calling it the Storm of the Century. There's no sign of it letting up," she answered, setting a large skeleton key into the lock of the Astronomy tower door and turning it. A fire was already roaring the fireplace and a scarf-wrapped kettle on a tray with two cups sat on the worn settee by the window. Hanging her cloak by the door, Ginny lit two more candles and blew on her hands, rubbing them together as she crossed the small, circular chamber. 

Two envelopes rested against a stack of books on the edge of her small desk and Ginny paused beside it, tracing a finger along the missives but she continued to the kettle and poured a steaming cup. It had taken her some time to get past the awkwardness of not offering her companion a cup and even now, Ginny felt the hiccup of potential rudeness as she took a seat on the settee. 

Remus hovered by the fire, looking to the notes and commenting with an indulgent smile. "From your young man? Where is he off to now?"

"Babylon. A Muggle uncovered a golden tomb that disappeared before his eyes. You can imagine how the Ministry reacted to that being splashed across the Muggle newspapers," she chuckled, looking up as the door opened to admit a harried-looking Hermione.

"Is that tea? Oh, thank Merlin, I think I lost feeling in my hands on the walk over from Greenhouse 2!" Hermione bustled into the room, stamping her feet at the door and unraveling her scarf. Tossing the scarf across the back of the settee, she flopped down on the cushions and reached for the cup Ginny held out with a sigh of relief. "Are those biscuits? Hello Remus, how are classes going for you?" 

The ghost chuckled, answering as Ginny summoned the tin Hermione had indicated from its place on the mantle. "Quite well considering how close to Winter feast we are. I think the snow has given the students a case of cabin fever. I only caught one sleeping today." 

"You don't have to do this, you know," Hermione murmured sympathetically as she extracted a small bowl from her pocket, exchanging it for the tin Ginny held out. Ginny glanced up to meet her friends gaze but simply gave a small shake of her head. Hermione watched impassively as Ginny set the bowl on the trunk that served as both storage and a substitute coffee table and flicked her wand over it, causing the item to enlarge until it was clearly identifiable as a pensive. 

While Ginny swirled her wand through the silvery strands floating in the bowl, Hermione began. "Ron and Harry joined the Auror program straight out of Hogwarts, with Minister Shacklebolt to vouch for them - it was only days before they were fast-tracked into the starting classes. When it became apparent that the memory charms on my parents couldn't be lifted, Ginny offered to have a double wedding." 

"You would have done the same," Ginny protested but Hermione paused, reaching out to squeeze her friends' hand. Selecting a single strand, Ginny lifted it to her temple with the tip of her wand and gave a shudder as it seemed to melt into her skin. Licking her lips, Ginny continued where her friend had paused. "I tried out for the Harpies and started with them over that summer. Our schedules were hard to work around. We didn’t see a lot of each other but…"

"We all thought we'd have plenty of time," Hermione interjected softly, ignoring the shaking of the windows as the wind thundered against the panes. "Naturally, with the Aurors being as short-handed as they were, the boys were going out on apprentice missions despite not having field experience. The way they talked, they considered our time fighting Voldemort to be more than sufficient but I thought they were rushing things."

Ginny stood and circled around the back of the settee, holding her teacup with both hands in a tight grip. "Harry and Ron came into the library after dinner and it was clear right away that they were excited about something. Harry had found a symbol, a rune of some sort, on a shoppe door in Knockturn Alley and he hadn't known what it meant but he was sure it was suspicious. He found the reference in one of the Black's old Dark Magic books and he and Ron were determined – you know how they could be - to get a jump on it. Harry was convinced that they'd lose the trail if they waited till morning."

"I told them it was a bad idea. They were sure to get thrown out of the program if they were caught but, well, they never were much on following rules. We argued. I pointed out that the rune was a simple arithmetic equation and there was no tangible evidence that it was connected to the Death Eaters but Ron got that look. He could be as stubborn as an ox once he made up his mind," Hermione picked up the story, falling into an easy pace. It was clear she had told it more than once and the edge of realistic frustration had fallen away over the years, replaced by a wistful, sorrowful tone that engendered hopelessness.

A soft clatter came from the other side of the room and Remus looked up to see Ginny leaning against her desk. His incorporeal hand rose to hip level before falling away. Her voice rose from a soft murmur as she spoke. "Harry was just as set to it. There was nothing we could say to change their minds. Ron's patronus found us just after two in the morning. We'd fallen asleep in the library and suddenly, there it was by the fire and Ron's voice… he sounded so far away…"

"He said they were in south Wales, 5 kilometers east of the Muggle village of Castlemartin and pinned down. Harry had taken a hard jinx to the head and Ron sounded like he'd just run a marathon. They'd been following a suspicious wizard down a back alley in Castlemartin when he suddenly made a break for the forest. The boys followed, finding a clean disapparition mark and they gave chase, apparating into a circle of Dark Wizards who tried to stun them. They somehow managed to get away but Ron was certain they were being followed," Hermione quickly picked up the tale, shooting a worried look to her old friend. Running a hand down her long braid of hair, she paused, letting the crackle of the fire fill the room as she became lost in memory.

Ginny moved to sit on the arm of the fireside chair, twisting the dull gold ring on her finger as she continued. "There was a shout and Ron's patronus faded away. We Floo'd Kingsley straight away and the Burrow. Hermione and I left moments later and we caught up to Kingsley and his bunch shortly after but Harry and Ron were no where to be found, just their wands and a blasted clearing. The spell signature charms were ringing out wildly and then, they found it – the disapparation point…"

"They'd taken them to a graveyard in Cork. It took nearly two hours to follow the apparation markers – they'd set up several to throw us off track – and, when we got there, well, there was nothing anyone could do. The cauldrons, the blood…" Hermione stood and crossed to put her arm around Ginny's shoulders.

Wiping her cheek, Ginny said. "Kingsley tried to keep us from seeing but… the Death Eaters had tried to recreate the… they were trying to bring Voldemort back, maybe even Bellatrix but they couldn't work out what was wrong, why it wasn't working. The Aurors think that they… they didn’t mean to kill them so quickly but they were clumsy, didn't realize how much blood they were losing. There was evidence of a struggle and three of the Death Eaters were found just outside the graveyard, already dead - probably fought amongst themselves when the spells didn't work. They hac… hack…" she stammered, her voice thick with tears. "cut off Harry's left hand…"

"And Ron's right. They'd been blindfolded and hung from graveyard crosses. There were… horrible marks carved into their bodies… runes and dark symbols. I don't… I…" Hermione hiccupped and her voice died away. 

Ginny put her arm around her friend's waist and looked up at the ghostly outline of their incorporeal friend. "The Aurors sent two teams after the Death Eaters and Kingsley took us to the Burrow. We were all there when the reports came in that they'd caught them. My dad made the arrangements for the… for the bodies. The trial was published in the Prophet but we managed to keep the _vultures_ out of the funerals. Mum… mum closed up Grimmauld Place. I'm sorry, things were a bit of a blur but that's the bulk of it."

"Quite right. I'm sorry to have upset you both so much. It was dreadfully improper of me to ask you to go through this again," Remus seemed surprised when Ginny apologized, quickly answering in a soft tone. 

The two witches both shook their heads but it was Hermione who replied. "We know it wasn't out of a morbid curiosity, Remus. The Ministry buried the reports we filled out and well, we've never trusted the Prophet to tell the truth. It's time to put the humanity back into the history that you are teaching. Harry… Harry and Ron – they were careless, yes, but the _hatred_ is still out there. People need to know. These kids, they are the ones who can change things."

Standing, Ginny began to speak and then stopped, giving a frantic shake of her head before grabbing her cloak and fleeing out of the room. She raced down the stairs, pulling the garment on when she finally reached the main entrance, shivering at the cold, Ginny paused and leaned against the frigid glass panes. 

"Will she be all right?" Remus asked, watching with a vaguely pained look on his shimmering features. It was hard to tell if the ghost really felt an affinity to his former students but he gave every appearance of being concerned.

Hermione toyed with the cuff of her robe, jaw clenching and flexing as she exhaled deeply before answering. "Will any of us? I hope this helps her move past the grief."

"Have you, Hermione? Have you moved past the grief?"

Standing abruptly, she swept to the door quickly and opened it but paused on the doorstep, glancing back at the transparent image of a man who had been a guiding factor in her life and said. "No. I should have gone with them. Good evening, Remus." 

In the entry hall, a muffled noise drew Ginny's attention and, through the frosted glass, a hooded figure appeared on the edge of the courtyard. Wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe, Ginny frowned and let her wand drop into the palm of her hand as she braced against the door, pushing it open. The piles of snow did not yield easily but she was determined and, after a moment, the door opening widened enough to allow her to squeeze out. The howling wind was deafening and her shouts were ripped away in the swirling sleet and snow, forcing Ginny to release the doorframe and push out into the storm, her wand held tightly in her hand. 

Haunting images of the bloody graveyard flashed in her thoughts as the cloaked stranger came closer and caution born of years in a war that existed below the surface of normalcy flooded her body with adrenaline. Ginny was oblivious to the painful sting of sleet cutting her cheeks, her heart racing wildly, as she called out once more for the figure's identify but nature was equally ignorant of her anxiety and the wind swallowed anything the stranger might have said. 

Leveling her wand, Ginny braced herself in the snow, her chin lifting in defiance and the hood of her cloak flew back. It was only then that the figure halted and held up his gloved hands before reaching up to push his hood back. Cedric's wild brunette locks flattened against his head in the fierce wind as he staggered forward, catching Ginny by the forearms and pulling her into the shelter of his cloak. Helping her to the door, he braced it and ushered Ginny into the hall, following a moment later stamping the snow from his legs. 

"Ginny! Why in Merlin's name were you out there? Are you all right?" he exclaimed, tugging his gloves off and catching her hands together, rubbing them briskly between his own. 

The tingle of blood rushed back to her fingers, jolts of feeling shooting along the palm of her hand and Ginny felt as if she were swimming up from the bottom of a lake, clarity filling her thoughts and she gave an embarrassed half-smile. "I thought I saw… I'm fine, really, Cedric. You must be frozen – how did you get here? You were in Babylon."

"We were called back - the Ministry is closing the International Floo's, something to do with this storm, it's causing havoc with the connections. They told the goblins that we either return now or stay until the storm passes. It wasn't a hard decision," he grinned, grey eyes twinkling mischievously. Standing, Cedric held his hand out and helped her rise, brushing the snow from her shoulders, peering at her intently. "Ginny, are you going to tell me why you were out in the snow?"

"We were – Hermione and I – talking with Professor Lupin. I needed some air and I saw you out there. I mean, I didn't know it was you and I thought it might be an intruder," Ginny answered honestly, falling into step beside him. The disquieting feeling she'd had in the entryway hung about her and she looked over her shoulder more than once as they passed a row of portraits that grumbled and shrunk from Cedric's illuminated wand. 

He stopped and turned back toward the entryway, now several yards down the corridor, his wand unobtrusively falling into his hand. Cedric peered down the hall for a moment before looking down at Ginny, his free hand resting on her shoulder as he said quietly. "I don't want to press you."

"Remus wanted to know how H… Harry and Ron died," she replied, a hard edge in her voice. Flashes of memory roiled and surfaced again and again. Ginny clinched her fists to her side and began walking once more, pausing only when she reached the door to her quarters.

Cedric reached out and took the key from her hand, gently drawing her close despite the tension in her body. Tipping her chin up with a touch, he pressed his forehead to hers and folded his arms around her small frame, holding her until the hard line of her shoulders fell. "That's my girl. Enough of this now, you're keeping it then?"

"It's mine," she acknowledged, giving a small nod of her head. Putting the memory back had brought the emotions she had felt at the time back in full force as well, nearly overwhelming the witch with sorrow and an anger Ginny couldn't acknowledge when her husband was so brutally killed. "He… he just couldn't…"

He caught her wrists easily and held them loosely as she struggled, until finally, the sobs broke free and Ginny's knees gave way. Sliding to the stone floor, she leaned her head back against the door and angrily wiped her cheeks dry, not watching as Cedric crouched beside her and held out a handkerchief though she took it, blowing her nose loudly, saying. "I've been doing this curse-breaking thing for a while now and I've noticed a disturbing trend. People who think they'll be struck by lightening for feeling things, well, they aren't."

"I wasn't worried about the lightening," Ginny responded tartly, sniffling as she stood and opened her door. There was no sign of Remus or Hermione but the kettle was steaming, wrapped in the scarf Hermione's had been wearing and Ginny threw her cloak over the armchair. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she poured two cups of tea and handed one to him as he took a seat. "Sympathy isn't one of your strong points, Cedric."

He blew on the steaming liquid surface and gave a half-smile, saying. "I'm full of surprises. Ginny… there's nothing wrong with being angry at him. My dad, he struggles with me because he blamed himself for my entering the Tri-Wizard Championship. Don't do that to yourself. Harry made his own decisions and left you to live with them. Only you can forgive yourself, Ginny."

Begrudged acknowledgement flickered across her features and, after a heartbeat, she nodded. Sinking back against the cushions, the crackle of the fireplace was the only sound in the room for a long time.

~Fin~


End file.
